"The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched. They must be felt with the heart." – Helen Keller

Tag Archives: White Markings

These beautiful little carpet sharks come in a variety of colors with different markings and many patterns.

Turnip

When describing a ferret’s appearance, two terms are used; Colour and Pattern.

Colour is in reference to the colours of the ferret’s *guard hair, **undercoat, eyes, and nose.

Pattern is the concentration and distribution of colour on the body, mask, and nose.Where applicable, pattern can also refer to white markings that appear on the head or feet.

*Guard Hairs Are simply the stiffer, more prominent and longer fur that covers the shorter and softer undercoat. Guard Hairs provide the critters coloration or camouflage and, in many mammals, also aid in water proofing the fur.

**The undercoats job is to act as insulation and also to provide a water resistant barrier.

There are competitions in which ferrets are judged on a number of different criteria, including structure, colour, coat condition, temperament, and grooming. Every show is different; some shows have seminars and other educational events taking place throughout the day. Others have fun events such as the “best dressed ferret” competition or the “best kisser” competition.

A significant portion of your ferret’s score at the show may be determined by the maintenance of your ferret. That is, the judges are looking for ferrets that are not just a nice colours or well put-together, but also ferrets that have been well taken care of throughout their life.

Ferrets need regular routine maintenance to remain healthy. Ears should be cleaned regularly, nails should be trimmed at least every 2 weeks, teeth should be brushed regularly.